First Ever Freelan Family Vacay

One of the disadvantages of the wide age gap between my sisters and me is that we've never...since the year of my birth {which amazingly, I don't remember}...gone on a real family vacation together. This August, my parents will celebrate 60 years of marriage, and rather than having a big party, they wanted to have a family vacation. With everyone. So we all consulted our day planners and found that this past weekend was the time all of us could actually get together and enjoy the first ever Freelan family vacation.

My parents took care of all the details. They wanted to get together in Shipshewana, in northern Indiana, because it's one of my Dad's favorite places to go. Mom reserved rooms at the Farmstead Inn, and I was excited about that, because I love the Farmstead! I've stayed there a few times before - including twice for spiritual retreats I went on before I was married.

We all gathered there on Thursday afternoon...which was pretty great. Ryan and I took the whole day off work, slept in, went for an exercise walk that morning and out for breakfast...and then enjoyed our drive north.

Mom met us all at the door of the hotel to take our pictures - just like she does on Christmas Day when we arrive at their house:

 Ryan and I - and of course, our fountain pops and my camera. We are so blessed predictable when it comes to a vacation.

 My sister Julie and her husband, Tom - all decked out for golf. They are so blessed predictable when it comes to a vacation. :)

My sister Lori, her husband Jeff, and their daughter Cassie won the prize for longest drive...making the trek all the way from Kansas to join us for the weekend!

We had some time to kill on Thursday between arriving and heading out for dinner, so we went around town and shopped a little bit.

Yeah that's Ryan and my dad supervising a mural painting in town. Good thing they were there to keep it going!!

 Awwwww......

 Sometimes you can't wait. Gotta use what's open.

That first night, we had dinner at the Essenhaus over in Middlebury. It is a HUGE {whatever's in your mind right now - double, possibly triple it and you've got the Essenhaus} home cooking restaurant where you can eat either family style or buffet. We went with the buffet.

Dinner was fabulous!!

After dinner, we walked around at the shops near there...and Cassie hung out with Ryan and me for a while. We found this shop that had a silo on the side, and you could walk up to the top of the silo to look around:

So...we did!

 Fun to look out over the grounds:

 And I don't know if you can see him or not but look who I spied meandering through the car show? My Dad! He's right in the middle in the tan pants.

While we waited on Mom and Dad to stop socializing...because it's true that they actually found people they KNEW and were talking in the parking lot...we had some photo shoots of our own!

Sisters!!

 And checking the photo....

 Photobombing my Mom's phone....

Oh...and here's a nice one of the lovebirds:

After dinner, we went back to the hotel, and Ryan, Cassie and I hit the pool for a while. We found a beach ball and played some hard-core volleyball...which I believe canceled out our entire dinner, thankyouverymuch.

And that's how family vacation, day one, went down.